Love at First Bite: Fireside by Kettle

I can’t help it. I just can’t. I smile like a love struck fool whenever I see a new restaurant. And last December, I saw Fireside. I was really curious and wanted to check the place out but my favorite Dragon Lady and two Rs wanted to visit Linguini Fini then. Three weeks later, I made it happen.

Hello, Fireside!

I guess I wasn’t too observant when I went in as I was surprised to see that Fireside is owned by Kettle, the maker of “Manila’s best buttermilk fried chicken” or so what most foodies claim. And since I was in a hurry and was quite hungry too, we decided to go for the following: Grilled Chop House (PHP189, bowl | PHP389, platter), Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders (PHP489), Steak BLT (PHP389) and Homemade S’mores (PHP139).

First served was our salad.

Kapitolyo Food Stop: Red Panda Bistro

I’m still amazed with how Kapitolyo transformed from a quiet residential area to one of the busiest foodie destinations in the Metro. I remember how we’re limited to two options, St. Gerald’s (a homey café near my school) or Three Sisters (one of the pioneers in the area that sells delicious barbecue and pancit bihon). Now, I have so many options that I also need my toes to count it.

The spotlight this time is on Red Panda Bistro. I planned to try this place out with N a few months ago but the menu didn’t appeal to us so we went to Gostoso instead. I was still curious about the place though so when M invited me for dinner, I suggested Red Panda.

 

Since the cuisine is Chinese, I wasn’t really that ecstatic in choosing what to eat. Plus, I was so embarrassed for arriving late and looking harassed with uncombed hair. Anyway, we decided to go for the following: Roast Duck Dumpling (PHP115), Broccoli and Cauliflower Cheese Gratin (PHP380), and Chinese Style Ossobucco (PHP490).

Sentosa Revisited

For some reason, I eat a lot on Sundays! My tummy grumbles tenfold thus I make sure I have something to nibble on when I’m out. But since we attend mass at 6PM, the time when my tummy alarm clock goes wild, I had to silence my uncooperative clock and sincerely pray it won’t go on a strike and scream.

Hello again, Sentosa!

It has been a while since I last visited this place. I remember that during that first dinner here, I was almost the 5^th wheel if C’s other half showed up. I didn’t really care but that would have meant less food for me. (Yes, I sometimes think like this).

Anyway, this time, I went with my sister and mom after mass and we were really famished! My mom opted to buy Sautéed Broccoli with Scallop in XO Sauce (PHP245) while I went with Hainanese Chicken Noodle Soup (PHP220) and Satay Kajang (PHP195) while my sister got Roast Chicken Rice (PHP220). For dessert, we ordered Sticky Rice with Mangoes (PHP85) and Pisang Goreng (PHP95). I also tried the Chrysanthemum Iced Tea (PHP85, bottomless) simply because it intrigued me.

Served with an actual Chrysanthemum, it sure was a refreshing and flowery drink!

Despite the busy packed night, service was pretty quick as we got our food in about 15 minutes. First served was the Satay Kajang.

For PHP195, you get to try 3 different kinds—beef, pork, and chicken. I love chicken best as it was the one with the tenderest meat (easy to remove from the stick). The meat was flavorful that you do not even need to smother it with the sauce that goes along with it. For an appetizer, I prefer to have it with rice.